Automata and Working Models have their origins in the temple thaumata described by Heron of Alexandria (10 - 70 AD). They reached a zenith of technical and aesthetic excellence in 19th century France. Collecting coins was a minor extension of their function. As such, the coin-operated tableaux vivants or working models that became popular in Britain from the end of the 19th century were no great advance on their Greek forebears. At first they were shown in public exhibitions and traveling shows, but by the 1950s they were a familiar and uniquely British arcade genre. Many appealed to the darker side of the imagination and are in the same British Gothic tradition as The Castle of Otranto and The Curse of the Mummy's Tomb. |
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Clockwork mechanism, delivers a card indicating your fortune. |
Gothic and gruesome, this spring-driven working model's torture theme is typical of the genre. |
